Becker's Clinical Quality & Infection Control

15 Executive Briefing How Can Changes Made in the OR Positively Affect Patient Satisfaction? At every patient care touchpoint, healthcare providers have an opportunity to improve the patient experience and boost satisfaction. This is especially true for surgical patients, who may be particularly nervous and in need of extra assurance from those who will be in the operating room. Caring for patients is always providers No. 1 priority, but as the industry shifts from a volume-based to a value-based reimbursement model, caring for patients encompasses a whole lot more than healing wounds and treating illness. "Creating a positive experience and making sure patients leave the hospital satisfied is becoming increasingly important," says Robert M. Dahl, senior vice president and COO for national perioperative consulting firm Surgical Directions. "Throughout the perioperative process, there are countless opportunities for providers to improve care, put patients at ease and make a good overall impression." According to Mr. Dahl, there are four major perioperative steps along any patient's journey: Pre-surgical evaluation, the surgical procedure, post- surgical care and discharge. The care team, including care coordinators, nurses, technicians, surgeons and anesthesia providers, is carefully orchestrated to optimize each of these respective steps. "Every player involved in perioperative surgical care can make a difference for patients," says Mr. Dahl. Following the patient journey, Mr. Dahl highlighted who is involved in each step and what improvements can be made to boost patient satisfaction. Pre-surgery Even before the patient's surgery, there are a lot of people and moving parts involved in ensuring that the surgery and clinical outcomes are optimized within the perioperative process. Key players involved in the pre-surgery process include the hospital or ambulatory surgical center staff within pre-admission or pre-anesthesia testing, the surgeon, surgeon's staff, hospitalist, OR director, anesthesiologist, CRNAs, nurses, and staff members in patient financial services and admissions. "More often than not, the prospect of surgery can be a bit stressful for patients," says Mr. Dahl. "Orchestrating and streamlining all areas within the hospital that require patient information and patient dialogue prior to surgery is key to reducing anxiety, setting expectations for the day of surgery, improving clinical outcomes and improving patient satisfaction." All areas of pre-surgery should be coordinated through a streamlined process, and the triggering of each pre-surgical event should be tied to the scheduling process when the patient is identified as a candidate for surgery. For instance, the PAT department can ensure all pre-admission testing and clearances have been completed and evaluated prior to surgery. When a patient is scheduled for surgery, a PAT call or visit can be scheduled with the patient along with a brief explanation of the service that will be performed. Full patient preparation reduces delays and cancellations. It also has the potential to reduce complications that require additional care that can lead to hospital readmissions and increased length of stay. PAT is the critical component to manage patients' comorbidities and risk factors prior to surgery. The PAT team can also work with the OR director to make sure adjustments to the OR staff, supplies and equipment have been made to cater to the specific procedure needs. Hospitalists and other advanced practice professionals can assist the clinic with patient and chart evaluations to ensure each patient is "touched" either through a phone triage screening or in-person evaluation. Anesthesia personnel typically oversee this function. Patient financial services and admissions can be tethered to the PAT process by being addressed at the conclusion of the PAT call or visit. The purpose of this interaction with the patient is to go over insurance matters, set expectations for billing and payment Sponsored by: & anesthesia assessment · interim management 312.870.5600 www.SurgicalDirections.com Services – Nursing Managers and Directors Services – Nurse Educators Services – Business Managers Processing Department – Managers and Directors provide you with leadership that will insure stability of transition.

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